New patent hints at Apple working on a durable glass design for iPhones and iPads

The patent shows that Apple is working towards designing a better glass alternative for its devices in order to them more durable.

Apple was reported to have filed a new patent application recently that describes a glass coating with enhanced stiffness, for its portable devices like iPhones and iPads. The patent application explains that the added protection of the glass coating can be applied over a display or even the body of the device. The new technology will not only make glass coated devices more durable but also more resistant to cracking.

As reported by Apple Patently, Apple is considering multiple ways to design the glass coating. One of the ways to build this kind of a structure is by using what Apple likes to call “ribbed” design. In this, the protective layer can be designed by intertwining two forms of fiberglass, which in turn will make the coating durable and crack resistant.

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Apple is also considering on using sapphire to make the glass coating. The company already uses sapphire on its Apple Watch and the camera lens of its iPhones. However, the new patent explains how a sapphire coating can be designed for slightly bigger devices, such as iPhones.

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Apple featured the glass coating on the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus in order to support wireless charging. However, the glass coating at the back isn’t as strong as Apple stated it to be. This patent shows that Apple is working towards that problem, to make its future iPhones and iPads more durable. However, it’s still too early to say if those devices will be coming with this kind of glass coating.